As I Grew Older
by Courtney Belle
Summary: A series of Blair/Nate centric drabbles.
1. Headband

**A/N: **A series of Blair/Nate centric drabbles. I figure I should challenge myself to be more concise while I challenge myself to write a multi-chapter story. It'll be great. I hope. Plus! Nate and Blair had a relationship _too_, you know; let's give props where props are due. Most of my ideas right now are pretty positive prompts, but I'll probably slip in a few of the problems that eventually led to their huge explosive End. Yes, end with a capital E.

**HEADBAND**

They walked together to the blanket she had spread over a dry patch of cold ground. His fingers played with her ruby ring, and she laughed as the wind tried to push her dark locks across her face. The apple red glow in her cheeks made his lips quirk instinctively. It was the smile he saved for when his girlfriend was content.

"It's a good thing I bought you that headband."

The red satin strip of cloth stood out luminously against her ivory pea coat. Blair smiled and adjusted the chic little flowers that adorned its side.

"I love it."


	2. Day Planner

**DAY PLANNER**

Blair's day planner was missing and as far as she was concerned, that meant the end of the world. Was she supposed to have tea at the Waldorf-Astoria, or did she need to be on Fifth Avenue for a fitting with Johan? She didn't know, her mother could care less, and her daddy was away on _another_ business trip. That left...

"Dorota! Damage control." Dorota hesitated. "...Now!"

The elevator chimed in the foyer, and Nate appeared holding her planner in one hand and a hydrangea bouquet in the other.

"You stole it!" Blair's mouth widened indignantly.

"Guilty." Nate grinned sheepishly.


	3. Speed Dial

**SPEED DIAL**

'A world of' was a loose estimate of the amount of trouble Nate was in after Blair discovered she was number 4 on his speed dial, behind Chuck, his dad, and voicemail. In fact, the phrases 'dog house' and 'hell hath no fury' had started to seem absolutely appealing.

"I'm your girlfriend!" she informed him in what he silently thought was a _Kindergartner Teacher Voice_. "If I'm not your top priority, what kind of boyfriend _are you_? You're number _three_ on _my_ speed dial!"

"Wait," Nate risked his neck by interrupting. "Three?"

Blair's cheeks turned red. "It's better than four..."


	4. Lunch

**LUNCH**

It was a mystery to her why hard-working, semi-attractive, subservient minions were so hard to come by. Blair dismissed an incompetent sixth grade girl from the Met steps, then continued picking at the unexciting fruit cup in her lap.

Her morning had been what most people defined as 'fairly miserable', but which she categorized as 'the worst day of my life this week'.

The girls stopped twittering about alligator handbags because Nate arrived, and they knew not to disturb the golden couple.

Nate handed her a warm sandwich from her favorite café and Blair decided he was perfect.

_Blair Archibald._


	5. Breakfast at Tiffany's

**BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S**

Nate hated old romantic movies. So, when his pouting girlfriend held up Breakfast at Tiffany's and looked at him beseechingly, he resigned to sit through it if she would come to his lacrosse practice.

She agreed but her eyes didn't match her mouth.

Moon River played over the surround sound and she laid her head on his chest. The first hour went by so slow that the second hand on his Rolex started ticking _backwards_.

Then Blair sniffled into his sweater and he discovered that romantic movies were the best kind. Their post-movie make out session certainly cheered her up.


	6. Heart Pin

**HEART PIN**

Nate glanced across the table at his girlfriend, who looked very pretty with her soft curly hair falling around her shoulders. He watched her shift uncomfortably in her seat, and then looked back down to the gold pin now dangling from the sleeve of his favorite sweater.

"I really love it," he reassured her, squeezing her hand in his.

The words tumbled from her mouth. "I really love _you_." A candle flickered and caught the nervous furrow of her eyebrows.

Nate brought her hand to his lips, and the delicate little heart swayed between them. "I really love you too."


	7. Serena

**SERENA**

He watched the light through the filter of bubbly champagne. Across the room, she was giggling and tossing her long hair over her smooth, bare shoulders, and he thought he would love to bury his lips in that sweet smelling dip just between her collarbones. A dark spot hovered over him for a full minute before he realized who was blocking the view he had conjured in his mind's eye.

Blair, in a dark blue dress, shadowed by the lit windows.

She sighed and he took a sip from his glass.

"Why are you in the dark?"

Nate just shrugged.


	8. Birthday

**BIRTHDAY**

"Happy birthday."

Blair cradled her phone to her ear and looked at the numbers on her alarm clock. "Right on time."

"I wouldn't miss your birthday, Blair."

Blair fiddled with the hem of her silk charmeuse nightie and bit her lip. Nate had been acting weird lately, smoking too much pot, hanging out with Chuck _all _the time, and going to the Village for 'a slice'. He had even started talking about the subway in _excited tones_. It was...off-putting, to say the least.

But he whispered 'happy birthday' again, and everything felt right. "I love you."

"I love you too."


	9. Valentine

**VALENTINE**

Nate snuck up on Blair and Serena with something gold and box-shaped behind his back. Serena caught sight of him as Blair stood on her tiptoes to hang the sign for Constance Billard's annual Valentine's Day kissing booth for charity. He put a finger to his lips and the tall blonde winked in return.

"Let me get that for you, B."

Before Blair could even begin to protest too much, Nate slipped his arms around his girlfriend's tiny waist.

"Happy Valentine's Day. Can I get a kiss?"

Blair smirked and took the chocolates. "Do you have fifty dollars?"

"Fifty dollars?!"


	10. Hope

**HOPE**

She wanted Nate to be her forever and always because he was handsome, dashing, gentlemanly, and looked amazing in a well-cut Armani suit. He also cut a beautiful figure next to a huge bouquet of white roses. He came from the perfect family with the perfect townhouse and the perfect house in the Hamptons with the perfect dock and the perfect yacht. He was talented, charming, sweet, thoughtful, and more than she could have ever dreamed. And she had dreamed a lot.

Blair hoped he could look past all her glaring imperfections and see her the way she saw him.


	11. View

**VIEW**

Blair was nestled underneath his arm, still in her pretty green dress and the strand of pearls he had given her for their anniversary. Her mass of soft, dark curls tickled his nose, the diamond on her bracelet cut into his shoulder, and her constant sighing kept him from relaxing into the deep coma he was used to.

Another little sigh escaped her pale pink lips and he grinned, straightened the pearls where they fell against her collarbone and cascaded across his chest, and kissed the patch of moonlight on her forehead.

He had the best view in the city.


End file.
